Crash Into You
by The Art Of Banality
Summary: When Manny's world comes crashing down on her, she finds comfort in an unlikey person. Well, not that unlikely... (A MannyCraig Fic) CHP 11 IS NOW UP! R&R PLEASE!
1. Horrible Happenings

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they belong to Degrassi etc… etc… etc…

*Crash Into You*

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Chapter 1: Horrible Happenings

"Do they ever shut up?!" Manny screamed as she squeezed her pillow over her head to drown out the sound of her parents arguing. That's all they ever did lately, argue, fight, and complain! She was so sick of it-sick of them.

Manny reached across her bed for her phone. Just as her fingertips touched the top of it she immediately pulled her arm back. "Almost forgot…" she mumbled as she thought back to her fight with Emma. After that big blowout, Emma and herself had decided not to be friends anymore, so there was no way she could call her. "Uh!" Manny groaned in frustration. Everything was going wrong! First Emma, then Craig, now her parents.

Could things get any worse?

~*~

Manny tapped her pencil against her notebook as she glanced at the clock one last time. Only two more minutes before she was put out of her misery and this day was over.

__

BRING BRING BRING

Manny hastily shuffled her books into her bookbag and rushed out of the classroom only to bump into Ashley and Ellie. The two girls shot Manny extremely dirty looks, "Watch where you're going!" Ash shot at Manny.

"Sorry." Manny whispered feeling a bit intimidated, "If looks could kill…" Manny mumbled under her breath.

"Then you'd be dead!" Ellie said sarcastically, as the two girls walked away smiling to each other.

Manny sighed to herself. She was really sorry for what she had done to Ash but there was no chance that Ash would ever forgive her. 

She continued walking down the hall when she spotted Emma. This was her chance! Her chance to make things better! She ran up to Emma, "Hey Em!" she said with a smile.

Emma turned to face Manny but only turned back around and continued walking even faster than before.

"Emma, please stop!" Manny called as she ran to catch up with her.

"What?!" Emma said as she came to an abrupt stop.

"Emma I am so sorry. Can't we just be friends again?" Manny said sweetly.

Emma gave a fake smile, "Um… no!" she said and she kept walking.

Manny sighed again and threw her hands to her face. _What a perfect ending to a perfect day! _Manny thought as she began walking backwards to the school entrance, ready to go home. Suddenly she bumped into a tall figure.

"Oh I'm so…" Manny began as she turned, but her voice trailed off once her eyes locked with her bumpee. It was Craig. A frown found it's way to her face. She hated Craig for what he did to her. Actually she wanted to hate Craig. But there was no way she could ever do that. She loved him. She loved him so much it hurt, but that didn't mean he had to know that.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly as he turned to exit the school, but just as he was stepping out the door he paused for a second, turned to her, and smiled…

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A/N: Hey sorry I took so long to come up with another Manny/Craig fic but here it is. I know this chapter may be a bit… bad, but I promise it will get better! Well tell me what you think, review it.


	2. Freedom

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*Crash Into You*

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Chapter 2: Freedom

Manny stood in front of her house feeling more terrified than ever before. She didn't mean to be out this late but she just lost track of time at The Dot. She took a deep breath and reached for the door knob but immediately stopped herself. _My shoes! _she thought and bent down to slip off her shoes. Then she proceeded to open the door and tiptoe inside. _All was well until…_

"Manuela." called a voice from the kitchen.

Manny squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, "Crap!" she whispered to herself. Then she turned to face the kitchen, "Hi mami, hi papi." Manny said in her sweetest voice

"Where have you been?!" Her father screamed as he stood up.

"Out." Manny said as she approached the kitchen.

"_'Out'_? That's your excuse for coming home this late? You were _'out'_?" Her mother chimed in, "Excuse you young lady but you are not allowed to be _'out' _until whatever hour of the day _or night _that you feel is best!"

"Yea I know mom! I know I'm not allowed, cause see, I'm not allowed to do anything! You might as well chain me up in my room!" Manny yelled.

"Lower your voice young lady! You are not to speak to us that way!" Her father said stepping closer to her.

There was silence, and both her parents sat back down. Then her mother waved a paper in the air. "Your report card came in today." She said, regaining her composure. "Your grades are slipping."

Manny rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, _Do they really have to get into this now?_

"What is going on with you Manuela?" Her father said in a soft tone.

"I have a lot going on right now ok." Manny said fighting back tears.

Her father gave a confused look, "A lot going on? Manuela you are just a child. The only thing you have going on is school."

Manny jaw dropped, "What? I'm not a child! And no dad, that isn't the only thing I have going on! You know what, I don't have to take this! I'm going to my room!" Manny said as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She slammed the door and threw herself on her bed.

Three… Two… One…

"This is all you fault!" Mrs. Santos shot at Mr. Santos.

"My fault? This is your fault!" He responded, in the same tone.

Tears filled Manny's eyes at the sound of her parents arguing. She couldn't stand them anymore. She didn't even know them anymore, and they certainly didn't know her. She wiped her tears and lay her head facing the window.

Light bulb!

The window! She thought, _That's it! I'm gonna sneak out! _She instantly rose from her bed and slipped on her shoes. She ran to the window and looked down. Sure her room was on the second floor but it wasn't _that _high. Then without giving it a second thought Manny climbed out the window, grabbed the closet branch she could find, and made her way down the tree. 

That was easy! she thought with a smile. She stood up and looked around, "Freedom." she said as joy filled her cheeks, "I'm free." And with that, she ran down the street. She wasn't quite sure where she was going, how she would get there, or what she would do when she got somewhere, but she didn't care… after all, she was _free._

~*~

After she was a safe distance from her house Manny stopped running to catch her breath. She felt so happy to be away from it all, but as she looked up, the scenery wiped away her smile. She was standing in front of Emma's house. Suddenly everything came back. Her parents, her problem with Craig, her enemies at school… and her fight with Emma. Just as quickly as all her happiness had come, in was taken away. Manny felt the tears burning up in her eyes, only this time she didn't fight them, or hold back. Manny turned her head and wiped away her tears, clearing the way for new ones to fall, and continued walking down the street. How did things get so crazy? Just a while back things were fine, but now everything was spiraling out of control, and it was only a matter of time before they hit rock bottom. She kept walking, and kept sobbing until her feet hurt. Then she sat, and kept sobbing.

"Manny?" called a soft voice from behind her, and without turning, she knew who it was. "Crap." she muttered to herself as she wiped her tears hoping they wouldn't notice she'd been crying, but it was no use. She knew that they'd know, because… well because, it was Craig…

A/N: Hope you all like this chapter! Please review! I need reviews! BTW special thanks to BBO (Bigchilikd@aol.com), your review was simple but extremely sweet! You really made my day!


	3. Someone To Count On

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*Crash Into You*

Chapter 3: Someone To Count On

"What?!" Manny said coldly. She had to keep her guard up. She couldn't let him win her over.

"Manny what are you doing out here this late?" Craig said.

"I could ask you the same." Manny said sharply.

"I'm just taking a walk." Craig said ignoring her attitude.

"Well, so am I." she said.

Craig stepped closer to her, "Hey, Manny is everything ok?" he said with concern.

"Yeah, why?" Manny said getting nervous.

"Well, it's just that I-I, I saw you crying." Craig said lowering his voice.

"What?! What are you talking about? I was not, not, _not_, crying Craig, please." Manny said trying desperately to cover it up.

"Manny please, I saw you. And I can tell… I see it in your eyes…" he said as he looked deep into her brown eyes searching for something, anything, any trace of love left for him.

As he looked at her she felt him looking into her soul so she looks away, afraid he can see her pain. "I'd rather not talk about it." Manny said feeling the tears swelling up in her eyes again, but she quickly swallowed them.

Craig nodded his head, "That's cool, I understand." Then extending his hand he said "Come on Manny, let me take you home."

"I'm not going home." she said casually.

Craig gave a confused look, "What do you mean _'you're not going home'_?"

"I mean I'm not going home, I'm staying right here." Manny said.

"Manny you can't just stay out here. Why don't you want to go home?" He asked still confused.

Manny paused for a second, "Things aren't so good at home now ok."

"Manny there is no way I'm leaving you out here." Craig said.

"Why not?" Manny asked curious to know why he cared so much.

"Because I lo-I mean, because I just can't ok." Craig said getting a little nervous, he was afraid to say something that would scare her away.

"Well I'm sorry Craig, but I'm not moving." Manny said firmly.

Craig stared at her for a second, almost not believing her, "Fine then… neither am I." he said as he took a seat beside her. It felt great to be that close to her again, like old times.

Manny's jaw dropped, "Craig you're kidding right? Come on go home."

"Nope, I'm staying right here until you let me take you home." he said confidently.

Manny smiled to herself.

They both sat in silence for a few minutes until Craig spoke up, "Manny I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for all I've done to you. I never ever meant to hurt you. I hope you know that."

Manny sighed, "I know Craig, but you did, big time."

"I know. I honestly don't know how you're even talking to me now." Craig said smiling to himself.

Manny let out a laugh, "Yeah, neither do I."

"Whatever made you do it, I'm glad you did." he paused then continued, "So do you forgive me? Are we friends again?"

Manny looked up at him with a serious face, "I don't know Craig. I want to forgive you, but it's not that easy. You have to give me some time to fully recover you know."

"Yeah, I know, but I can do that. I have time, lots of it… for you." He said feeling a glimmer of hope for them.

"Good." Manny said smiling.

There was another moment of silence until Craig spoke again, "Do you feel like talking about it? Why you were crying? Why things aren't good at home?"

Manny looked down at the ground avoiding eye contact, "No, not yet, but thanks."

"Ok. Just know that if you ever want to talk, or need to talk, I'm here for you, I'll always be here." Craig said sensing her uneasiness, then he reached over and took her hand in his, "Always…"

__

So much for keeping my guard up. Manny thought as she felt herself melting away from his touch. They stood that way for a few seconds, holding hands and looking at each other, until Manny pulled away.

"Manny I'm sorry." Craig said startled.

"It's ok," Manny said staring down at her hand. The very hand that was linked with his just a few seconds ago.

Suddenly Craig stood up. "Manny…" he began as he held out his hand to her, "would you like to come to my house?"

Manny stared at him as if he had lost his mind, "Craig, I dunno about that."

"No, I'm not gonna try anything, I promise, I just don't want you to be out here all night. Please, trust me." he said sincerely. 

Then without thinking, Manny took his hand and stood up, "Ok, lets go."

~*~

"Well, here we are." Craig said as they stood in front of his house. "One thing Manny, Joey knows I'm out, but I'm pretty sure he'll freak if I come back with you. He should be sleeping by now though so we'll have to be quick and quiet ok."

Manny nodded. Then Craig opened the door, and they safely made their way to his room. Suddenly Manny had no idea what she got herself into. She was standing alone with Craig, the love of her life, in his room, at night. Manny stood stiff in her spot near the door.

"You can sit down." Craig said feeling as nervous as her.

"Uh ok." She sat taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

"You know we can go to sleep now if you want." Craig asked not knowing what to do next.

Manny's head shot up at this comment.

"Of course you'll be on the bed and I'll be on the floor." Craig immediately clarified as he went into his closet to get some blankets for himself.

"Actually I'm not very tired." Manny said in a low tone.

Craig breathed a sigh of relief, "Really? Good, cause neither am I."

"So what do you wanna do?" Manny said feel a bit more at ease.

"I dunno, we could watch a movie something. I could make some popcorn." Craig suggested.

Manny smiled, "That sounds great."

~*~

"Come on! Turn around!" Manny yelled at the scream.

"Yeah are you blind, he's gonna kill you!" Craig said as well. 

Manny reached into the bowl and grabbed some popcorn and threw it at Craig. "Oops." Manny said as she started cracking up. 

"Oh Manny I'm gonna make you wish you hadn't done that!" Craig said as he grabbed some and did the same thing.

"Oh it's on Craig!" Manny said as she threw some more at him.

Before you knew it they were in a heated popcorn fight.

"I'm gonna get you Manny!" Craig said as he grabbed a pillow and hit her in the leg.

"No Craig I'm gonna get _you_!" Manny said as she reached for a pillow and hit him over the head. This continued until they were both out of breath. Then they both laid back on the bed and began cracking up.

"I haven't had this much fun in a long time Craig." Manny said patting.

"Yeah me either." Craig added, as he looked at her and smiled.

Manny ruffled his hair and returned his smile.

They spent the rest of the night watching movies and playing around. Then they happily fell asleep… side by side…

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A/N: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. People if you are reading this please review cause I need to know I should continue it or if I'm doing a good job. Thanx, bye.


	4. Apple Stickers

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*Crash Into You*

Chapter 4: Apple Stickers

"Mmm…" Manny moaned as she rubbed her eyes. Suddenly she shot up quickly and looked down to find Craig sleeping soundly beside her. She glanced at the clock that read _7:10 _"Oh god…" she said as she got up from the bed and shuffled into her shoes.

Suddenly Craig awoke "Manny? What's wrong?"

"Craig I have to get home before my parents wake up. God I hope they didn't notice I was gone!" Manny said as she gathered her stuff.

"Hey do you want me to walk you?" Craig asked.

"No!" Manny yelled, a little louder than she had meant to, "It's just that my parents might see you, and then I'll get in deeper trouble."

"Um… ok…" Craig said a little disappointed.

Just as Manny touched the knob to leave the house, she stopped and turned, "Bye Craig, thanks."

"Yeah no problem. Bye." He said, upset that she was leaving.

And with that, she was out of his house and running down the street to get back to her house.

~*~

__

Damn I'm gonna be late! Manny thought as she hastily put on her jeans.

"Manuela hurry up! You're gonna be late!" Her mother called to her from downstairs.

"I know ma!" she yelled back in frustration. She brushed a comb through her hair and ran out the door.

Manny raced down the school hallway to her locker. Just as she was opening it she heard footsteps coming around the corner.

"Hey!" said the figure down the hall.

Manny's head shot up, "Oh hey Craig!"

He ran down to her, "So… did you get home ok last Saturday?"

"Yea, my parents had no idea I was ever gone! When I got home they were still asleep." Manny said happily.

"Oh good… good." he said shuffling his feet.

"Listen Craig, I go to go. I woke up late…." Manny said as she shoved her books into her bookbag.

"Oh I see. Bye then." Craig said as he backed away and was headed to class.

"Bye." Manny said as she turned and walked in the opposite direction, smiling to herself.

~*~

"Craig! Over here!" Manny waved Craig over to her lunch table. 

Craig walked over and sat across from her, "Hey Manny." 

"Hey." she said smiling at him.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Craig asked pointing to the cookies on her tray.

"I'll trade you them for… that." Manny said as she pointed to his chocolate pudding.

"Deal." Craig said as he handed her the pudding and she gave him the cookies.

"Stupid thing!" Craig said as he struggled to peal the sticker of his apple.

"Oh I hate those stupid stickers too!" Manny said as she saw him fidgeting with it, "They're so hard to get off! By the time the stupid thing actually comes off," Manny began.

"You don't even want the apple anymore!" Craig said finishing for her.

"Exactly!" Manny said as she took the apple from him and tried to get the sticker off herself. "Here." she said as she handed it back to him sticker-less.

"Thanks." he said as he set it down on his tray.

They continued to eat their lunch and make small talk until the bell rung. 

"Well, bye Craig." Manny said not wanting to leave his side. They were having such a good time.

"Yea, bye." Craig said feeling the same way, "Do you want me to walk you to class?" Craig asked trying to stall their farewell.

"Yeah! I'd love that!" Manny said as her face lit up. Then they began walking out of the cafeteria and down the hall.

A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter. It was supposed to show the transition of Craig and Manny's developing friendship. Sorry if it kinda dragged on. Oh and much thanks to the reader! All your reviews are great!


	5. When Friendships Emerge

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*Crash Into You*

Chapter 5: When Friendships Emerge

Manny sat at the edge of her bed and held her pillow close to her. She slowly let her head fall on it as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Her parents had been arguing again, this time about her. Saying that they had failed her and that she was headed down the road to nowhere if she kept it up. She was so sick of them trying to blame their need to denigrate each other on her, trying to use her as an excuse. She laid down on her bed and began to cry even harder. Then the phone rang. _Who could that be? _she thought. She didn't have many friends anymore, well that is, except for Craig now.

"Hello." she said into the phone.

"Hey." said a bright voice.

"Hey Craig, what's up?" Manny said sounding sad.

"Nothing. What's wrong Manny?" Craig asked suddenly losing the cheer in his voice.

"Nothing... It's just… home." Manny said.

"Oh, that. Do you wanna talk about it now?" Craig asked cautiously.

Manny paused, "Yeah… I think so." 

"Alright. Do you want me to come over? It's better in you can actually see me, you know." Craig said and he started to put on his socks.

"My parents are home." Manny said with a sigh.

"Well… I could sneak in. I mean, you did it right?" Craig said as he started putting on his shoes.

Manny laughed, "Ok cool, I'll be waiting at my window. Be careful ok."

"I will. Bye." Craig said smiling widely to himself.

"Bye."

~*~

"Ouch, wait my pants are caught." Craig said as he struggled to climb into Manny's room.

Manny giggled, "What? Where are they caught?"

"On the, the tree, the branch!" Craig said as he pulled at his leg.

Manny began to crack up as she helped tug at it.

"Manny!" Craig said to her as he hug half inside and half outside.

"I'm sorry Craig." Manny said still smiling.

Then finally his leg got free and Craig stumbled into her room and sat down on the floor to examine his pants. Manny sat down beside him and fingered the fabric, "Aww it ripped." she said sincerely.

"It's ok, at least I didn't" Craig said smiling.

Manny smiled back at him, feeling a rush of emotions, and a second later threw her arms around him, "Man, I'm glad you're here."

"I am too." Craig hugging her back.

~*~

"…They always expect me to be perfect!" Manny said to Craig as they lay side by side on her bed, "They think that the stuff I do is bad, but it's not. It's normal! I'm not some wind-up doll."

"Nobody's perfect." Craig added.

"Exactly. But what's even worse than that is that they are always arguing! They never stop, and then they try to use me as their excuse to rip each others heads off. They don't know what it's like to hear them fighting like that. Cause there's no way they can ever do it quietly. With them it's go big or don't go at all, and trust me when they go big they go _huge_!" Manny said.

"That's not fair to you." Craig said not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, that's my life." Manny said as she turned over and laid down on her side facing Craig. Her eyes began to water.

Craig smiled at her, he wanted to kiss her so badly. Manny smiled back, then he put his arms around her and held her. "I hope things get better with your parents Manny."

"Thanks Craig." she said as new tears came, "Thanks for listening."

Craig held her tighter, not wanting to ever let go, "No problem. Thanks for telling me."


	6. An Adam Encounter

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*Crash Into You*

Chapter 6: An Adam Encounter

Manny walked down the street, headed to school, feeling very tired. She hadn't got much sleep lately, and she didn't even know why. Suddenly a tall brown haired boy came up to her and began walking beside her.

"Hey." the boy said to Manny with an ear to ear grin.

"Hey." Manny said, feeling a bit confused, yet curious as to who he was.

"I'm Adam." the boy said still smiling widely.

"I'm Manny." she said as she returned his warm smile.

"I like your name Manny, it's beautiful… just like you." Adam said sincerely.

"Thank you Adam, I like your name to." Manny said feeling more and more at ease with this cute stranger.

"Thanks." Adam said.

Manny, still confused about who Adam was, asked "Are you new here?" 

"Yeah, is it that obvious?" Adam said looking down at the ground.

"Oh no, no, it's just that I haven't seem you-oh wait, aren't you in my English class?" Manny said as they began walking up the steps and into the school.

"Yeah, that's me! I've seen you before, Manny. Lots of times. You know I always wanted to talk to you but I never got the courage to come up to you until now." Adam said hoping she would get the hint.

"Well, I'm glad you did." Manny said smiling up at him, "Bye." she added as she walked down the hall to her class.

"Bye." Adam whispered as he admired her from afar. _God she's beautiful. _He thought while he watched her walk down the hallway with such poise it seemed she was floating… well to him at least.

~*~

"I completely failed that math test." Manny said to Craig as they walked down the crowed hallway.

"What are you talking about, you studied for hours for that test." Craig said as he squeezed past the people.

"I know, I know, but it was so hard Craig, you don't even know." Manny said thinking back to the test.

"Manny relax, I'm positive you did great." Craig said just as they both stopped in front of his locker.

"I hope so." Manny sighed and leaned against the locker next to his, "How about you? Any news?"

"Um… I have an English project due tomorrow and I haven't even started it. I guess that's news." Craig said as he rearranged the books in his locker.

"Why didn't you say something, I can help you with it." Manny turned and faced him.

Craig eyed her.

"Oh come on, I'm smart I can handle your work. How bad can it be, it's just one project." Manny said matter-of-factly.

"Ok, if you insist." Craig said as he closed his locker.

~*~  


"Hey Manny." Adam said catching up to Manny who was headed to English.

"Oh hey Adam." Manny said as she slowed down to wait for him.

"So how you been?" Adam said nervously.

Manny laughed, "You mean since this morning?" 

Adam looked down at the floor feeling foolish, "Yeah, sorry. I'm just kinda nervous."

"Why are you nervous?" Manny asked.

"Well, you make me nervous." Adam said hoping that didn't sound like a pick-up line.

"I make you nervous?" Manny said puzzled, "Why do I make you nervous Adam?" 

"I dunno, you just do." He said feeling himself blushing.

Manny looked at him and smiled as they both stepped into the classroom and took their seats.

~*~

"Ok, so I just need to pick a book that was made into a movie and compare the book and the movie." Craig said, while he sat in front of his computer.

"It that it? That's so easy!" Manny said, she was sitting beside him.

"Good, so let's get started." Craig said as he faced the computer and opened Microsoft Word.

"So Manny, are you friends with Emma." Craig said, stopping to look at her.

"No." Manny said, keeping a steady gaze at the computer screen, "Craig you forgot to capitalize here." Manny said as she leaned in and corrected his typo, trying her best to avoid the subject

"Manny, why are you changing the subject?" he said as he pushed away the keyboard.

"I'm not." She said looking at him.

"Manny come on, we're, friends." Craig said, wincing at the thought of the word 'friends'. He wanted them to be so much more.

__

Friends… Manny thought. Was that what she really wanted? To be just "friends" with the boy she was madly in love with? "No, Em and I aren't friends anymore." Manny said with a sigh.

"What happened?" Craig asked.

"I don't even know, I mean, we were both in two different worlds. She didn't like, and I quote, the person I've become. Then some insults were exchanged, she called me the school slut, and I called her a prude princess and we agreed to not be friends."

"Wow, she called you a slut? I don't think you're a slut." Craig said sweetly.

"Thanks, I don't either." Manny said with a half smile. "I don't even know what 'person' Emma is talking about. Just because I changed my look doesn't mean I'm not still me." Manny said shaking her head. "But, why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that you've been spending so much time with me lately I don't think you have any time left to spend with her. Just curious you know… but I have to admit that I'm really glad that you've been spending time with me Manny." Craig said.

Manny smiled, "Yea, me too Craig." she said while reaching for his hand.

"But Manny, why _did _you change your look?" Craig asked, going back to the subject of Emma and hoping he wasn't prying.

"Lots of reasons I guess… I was tired of being seen as this cute little girl. I want to be seen in the crowd, you know. I want people to know who I am, I'm Manny Santos. I'm not just that brunette girl that hangs out with Emma, and I felt like that's exactly how everyone knew me, I was just Emma's best friend to everyone. I want to show Degrassi that I am my own person, and that I'm not a baby, I'm a big girl." Manny stopped and looked up at Craig intently, "And I want to make sure that no one ever dumps me…" Manny paused, "because I'm too young."

Craig looked away as he felt the blood rushing to his face. He felt so embarrassed and ashamed. He had said that to her once, and now he regretted it more than ever. _It _had hurt her, _he _had hurt her, and now it was hurting _him_.

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A/N: Sorry for taking so long write this chapter. Hope you all liked it. Also, thank you all so much. Your reviews are great, I love them all.


	7. Discovering Dumb Dates

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*Crash Into You*

Chapter 7: Discovering Dumb Dates

"Hey Emma!" Craig said as he walked around the bench and took a seat beside her.

"Hey Craig." Emma replied, "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Yeah, it's been a while." Craig said as he thought about what to say. "How are you?"

"Good, I guess. You?" Emma asked.

"Same, same." Craig said. There was a long pause, "So… you and Manny aren't friends anymore?" he said abruptly.

Emma gave him a dirty look, "No, we're not! What's it to you?"

Craig backed away from her, feeling a bit intimidated by her tone, "It's just that you guys were best friends, it seems a shame to throw that all away over a stupid fight."

Emma squinted at him, "How did you know we're not friends because of a fight?"

Craig felt himself getting flustered. _Had he said too much? _"Well, I sorta spoke to Manny."

"Oh, Manny told you? So what, now she just blabs our business all over the place?" Emma said defensively.

"Whatever, that's not the point!" Craig said getting as angry as she was, "I'm here cause I know Manny really is sorry for anything she said and I think it would be nice if you tried to patch things up."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Thanks, but I think I'll pass." she said as she got up and walked away.

"Fine, Emma!" Craig called after her as he, too, got up and stormed away.

~*~  


"Hey Adam." Manny said as she saw Adam walking towards her.

"Hey Manny." Adam said as he looked down at his feet.

"Is something wrong." Manny asked.

"No, yeah, I mean no! Nothings wrong, I just wanted to ask you something." He said as he played with his hands.

"What is it?" Manny asked with a smile.

"Manny, um… I was hoping, that maybe, you might like to go on a date with me sometime, like say, this Saturday at 7:00?" Adam said in an unsteady voice.

Manny was taken aback, "Oh… um… uh…" she said stalling as she thought back to Craig. "Well…" she continued until she say Adams sad face, "Yes! I would love to!" she said impulsively, not wanting to hurt him.

Adam smiled widely. "Yes! I mean, thank you! I promise you won't regret this!" He said as he backed away cheerfully.

"Oh but I will…" Manny whispered to herself.

~*~

"Ok, so what do you wanna watch? Movie or TV?" Craig asked Manny as he passed her a bag of chips.

Manny shoved the chip nervously into her mouth as she pondered whether she should tell Craig about Adam or not. Somehow she felt guilty about it all. _But we are just friends. _Manny thought, _Even though I'm insanely in love with him!_

"Manny? Movie or TV?" Craig asked again while waving a hand in front of her.

"Huh? Oh, oh! Um, how about some TV today?" Manny said snapping out of her thoughts.

"Ok, cool." Craig said as he turned on the TV and sat down beside Manny.

Craig grabbed a handful of chips and began flipping through the channels.

"Oh, stop stop stop!" Manny yelled to Craig. "Smallville is on! Can we watch it?" Manny asked, looking up at Craig.

"Oh, I love Smallville!" Craig said as he flipped back to the channel.

"You do?" Manny said smiling softly.

"Yeah." Craig said, returning her smile.

"Me too." Manny said in a whisper as she laid her head on his shoulder.

~*~

Manny dashed down the street to The Dot to meet Adam.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." Manny said as she walked up to him, out of breath.

"It's ok, but I just don't see why you didn't let me pick you up." Adam said.

"Um, you know, parents." Manny said, trying to avoid the subject of her parents.

"So," Manny said just as their plates were being cleared away, "Tell me something about you, Adam."

"Well, um… I, uh, I have a mom and a dad, and an aunt and uncle," Adam paused as he thought of how to continue, "Oh! I have grandparents too!" He finished with a smile.

Manny looked at him intently, feeling a bit unsure of how to respond to this ridiculous answer. "Wow, that's great! Got the whole package huh?" Manny said nodding her head.

"Yeah!" Adam said.

"Um, what do you like to do?" Manny asked cautiously.

"Um, I like to, to, to… I like to eat. Eating is good." Adam said stupidly.

"Oh, yeah, me to." Manny said slowly.

Manny gave him a forced smile, and leaned back in her chair. _This is gonna be a long, long night…_

****

A/N: Sorry I took forever with this chapter, but stay tuned there are lots of surprises to come!


	8. Avoiding The Problem

****

*Crash Into You*

Chapter 8: Avoiding The Problem

"Hey has Emma spoken to you lately?" Craig asked Manny as they walked down the hall together.

Manny looked up at him strangely. "No. Not that I know of. Last time I checked we're not friends… _still, not friends._" Manny said sadly, "Why?"

"Oh no reason." Craig said thinking back to his little chat with Emma, that didn't go so well. But he was determined to make Emma and Manny friends again. That was least Manny deserved.

__

Uh oh! Manny thought as she noticed Adam approaching her. _Oh no! Please, no, no, no! He doesn't know yet! _She thought as she picked up the pace hoping Craig would too. Adam was a great guy, a little dull, but great nonetheless, only problem was she hadn't told Craig about him or about their date.

"Hey Manny!" Adam called to her in his usually cheery manner. Manny flashed a weak wave and forced a smile. "You know I had a real-" Adam began as he caught up with her. 

"Oh yeah yeah yeah! Me too, gotta go now! Bye!" Manny said quickly, cutting Adam off, as she rushed by him and dragged Craig along.

"Ok, who the hell was that?" Craig asked a little confused by the way Manny was acting.

"Who? Him? Um… no one, no one. You know just some kid… you know some, some, um, guy. Just a friend… from a class! Yes, he's a friend, from a class!" Manny said feeling her heart pounding at an alarmingly fast rate. She wasn't ready for Craig to know.

"Just a friend? You sure?" Craig asked unconvinced.

"Yeah of course I'm sure." Manny said weakly.

~*~

"Hey Emma, wait up!" Craig called to Emma as he ran up to her.

"What? Are you here to give me a lecture about how Manny and I should patch things up? Cause if you are you can just forget it!" Emma said keeping a steady gaze ahead and picking up her pace.

Craig took a deep breath and swallowed his pride. _For Manny, I'm doing this for Manny. _"Emma, please just listen to me." Craig began, "You and Manny were best friends. You can't just let all of the time you guys spent together go to waste because you both said some things you didn't mean."

Emma cut in, "Oh I meant everything I said Craig." 

"No you didn't Emma, and neither did she. So why can't you just get over all this and start taking to her again? Manny misses you, and I know you miss her too." Craig said.

"Craig why are you doing this? Why do you care if Manny and me are friends or not?" Emma said finally stopping to think about what he was saying.

Craig took a deep breath and thought back to Manny, and how much she meant to him… how much he loved her. "Because it's important to Manny, and that makes it important to me." he said sincerely.

Emma looked down at the floor and suddenly felt stupid for all she had done and said. "Ok Craig… I'll talk to Manny, and try to make some amends."

A huge smile appeared on Craig face and he hugged Emma, "Thank you!" he said as he ran down the hall.

~*~

"Hey Manny." Said a familiar voice that startled her.

"Oh hey Adam." Manny said.

"Um, I wanted to talk to you about something. But you ran off so quickly before I didn't get a chance." Adam said.

"Oh I'm sorry about that. I was sort of in a rush." Manny said as she glanced down the hallway and spotted Craig walking towards her.

"Well I just wanna start off by saying that," Adam began but Manny quickly cut him off.

"Um Adam I'd love to chat but I really can't now!" Manny said keeping her eyes on Craig.

Adam spun around to see what Manny was staring at and realized it was the same boy she had been with earlier. _Who is he? _He thought as Manny brushed past him and ran towards Craig.

"Hey Craig!" Manny said nervously.

Hey Ma-" Craig fell silent as he spotted Manny's _friend _just a few feet away from them.

"What's wrong?" Manny said as she stood in front of him trying to turn his attention back to her.

"Nothing." Craig said with a frown.

"Are you sure?" Manny asked cautiously.

"Positive." Craig said unconvincingly.

~*~

"Hey Manny." Craig said as he took a seat next to her at their usual lunch table. "Listen Manny I'm sorry for being for weird before. I guess I was just a little worried about that guy I saw you with before. You know I thought you might be dating him or something but that's stupid because I know that you would tell me if you were so I really have nothing to be all weird about and I sorry if I was." Craig said all in one breath.

Manny forced a smile, feeling guiltier than ever. _I have to tell him! _Manny thought, but before she had the chance to decide anything Adam walked up to their table. 

Manny shot up from her seat ready to drag him away.

"Wait Manny!" Adam said firmly as he stopped her from pulling him away.

Craig's eyes widened in confusion. _Him again? _Craig thought in frustration. 

Adam gave Craig a sideways glance. _Who is this guy? _He thought, since he's seen him with Manny for the third time today. Then he returned his attention back to Manny. He had to say this before he lost his chance. "Manny listen, please don't stop me or leave because I've been wanting to tell you this all day and I have to tell you before I explode. I had an amazing time with you on our date and I would really love to see more of you. I hope I'm not being too forward about this but will you be my girlfriend? 'Cause I really like you and I hope you give me a chance. Whew, there I said it!" Adam said as he let out a sigh and stared at Manny intently.

Craig's mouth dropped in utter shock. _What did he just say? _Was all Craig could think. _Manny has gone out with this guy before and she hasn't even told me about it? And now he is asking her out? How could she not tell me about this!_

Manny felt her stomach drop. _Crap Adam! Crap! _She thought as she glanced over to Craig's less than happy face, then back at Adam's anxious smile.

Craig shot up from his seat, gave Manny a dirty look, and left the table.

Manny threw her head back, "Crap!" she whispered as she rose from her seat and followed Craig.

"What happened?" Adam asked as he spun around and followed Manny. "Was it something I said?"

****

A/N: Here's the long awaited chapter. Sorry for taking so long with it. R&R please!


	9. When The Truth Comes Out

****

*Crash Into You*

Chapter 9: When The Truth Comes Out

"Craig would you wait up!" Manny called to Craig as she chased him down the hallway. Suddenly Craig came to an abrupt stop causing Manny to bump into him. "Sorry," she said backing away. Craig remained silent and gave her an icy stare. "Craig I'm sorry for not telling you about Adam, but you have to understand that-"

"Understand what? That you didn't trust me enough to tell me? Oh I understand that perfectly." Craig said sharply.

"No Craig of course I trust you! There's no one that I trust more than you!" Manny said as tears filled her eyes.

"Then why didn't you tell me! You went on a date with the guy and you never even mentioned his name! And now he's asking you out and I'm sitting here thinking he's just a _friend_! I think that crosses the borderline for friends Manny! I can't believe I actually apologized for doubting you! I should have doubted you because you weren't being honest with me! Manny I thought we were friends… I thought we told each other stuff… but I guess I was wrong… very wrong." Craig said and turned to walk away.

"Craig we are friends! You're my _best _friend! I didn't tell you because… because I-I lo-" Manny tried to continue, but her mouth fell dry. She couldn't find the strength to tell him… to tell him she loved him.

Craig turned and looked at her with a weak expression, "It doesn't matter anymore." he said and slowly turned back around and continued walking down the hall.

Manny slid down to the floor and buried her face in her hands. She had hurt him. She had hurt the one person she really cared about.

"Manny what's going on?" Adam said as he approached Manny and sat down beside her.

Manny looked up at him as a tear strolled down her cheek, "I screwed up." she said softly.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Adam asked sweetly.

"No, not really." Manny responded.

"That's cool… So, do you still wanna go out with me?" Adam asked cautiously.

Manny looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Adam, wha-…" She stopped and let out a sigh, picked herself up and walked down the hallway.

"Manny? Is that a yes?" Adam asked as he stood up feeling more confused than ever.

~*~

Craig went home feeling completely crushed. Why was he so upset? Ok so she forgot to tell him one little thing. He shouldn't have made such a big deal about it. But then again it was kind of a big thing. She actually dated the guy and never even dropped a hint about it. But that wasn't it. That's not what got him so upset… _I'm jealous… _Craig thought as he rubbed his head. _I'm jealous of the guy! _

"I love you Manny." Craig whispered to himself as he ran his finger over a picture of Manny and himself. They had gotten so close over the past few months and he still hadn't told her how he felt. _Now I lost my chance! _Craig thought as he eyed his telephone. _Should I call her? _He wondered while he picked up the receiver. _NO! I can't call her._ Then he put the phone back down. Craig laid down on his bed and thought…

…What do I do now…

…Manny thought as she laid down on her bed. _Is there anything I can do? _Manny messed up, and she messed up big time. How was she gonna get past this one. She had lost Craig, and all for not being honest with him. _God I'm so stupid! _she thought as she rolled over on her bed. "Craig I love you. That's why I couldn't tell you." she whispered to the air hoping that somehow, someway, he could hear her. 

I have to call him! I have to get him to understand! Manny thought as she reached for her phone and began dialing his number. Then she hung up the phone abruptly. _I can't call him. He hates me… I hate me! _Manny threw herself back down on her bed. Suddenly the phone rang. "Craig?!" Manny shouted as she shot up from her bed. She reached for the receiver, letting her hand hover over for a second thinking, _Please be Craig, please! _She picked up the phone and said "Hello," trying to suppress her anxiousness. 

"Hi Manny," said a familiar voice, but it certainly wasn't Craig. 

Manny stood up from her spot on her bed, and held the phone a little tighter, for fear she might drop it. She couldn't believe it, it was…

"Emma?"


	10. Gaining A Friend But Losing Another

.::Crash Into You::.

Chapter 10: Gaining A Friend But Losing Another

"Yea it's me!" Emma said cheerfully.

"Um… hi." Manny said taken aback.

"Listen, I-I, I um, just wanted to," Emma took a deep breath, "apologize for the way I acted. I was stupid and childish. I know that if I kept holding that grudge towards you I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. So… I'm sorry… really, really, sorry."

Manny was silent. She had no idea what to say. This was so unexpected.

"Manny? Are you there? Did you hang up on me?" Emma asked, already beginning to regret this.

"No! I'm here! And I'm so so so sorry too Em!" Manny said finally regaining her speech.

"Yes! So we're cool now?" Emma asked.

"Definitely." Manny said with a laugh.

..........

"Manny! Manny wait up!" Adam yelled down the hall as he ran towards Manny.

Manny closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to Adam. "Hey… Adam…"

"Manny what's up?" Adam said out of breath, "Haven't seen you lately."

That's probably because I've been avoiding you Adam… you, and the rest of the world… Manny thought as she forced a smile.

"I've been pretty busy." She said knowing that now that Craig was out of her life she had absolutely nothing to do except sit at home and listen to her parents argue.

"Oh. Well if you ever have some free time maybe we could get together sometime and you could think some more about what I asked you before. You know about being my girlfriend?" Adam said sweetly.

Manny sighed, "Yea, sure Adam. I'll do that." she said as she turned and headed to her class.

..........

Crap where do I sit now? Craig thought as he stood in the cafeteria clutching his lunch tray. _I can't just sit with her… not after everything that happened. _He glanced over to Manny. She was looking at him too. _Should I sit there? _He wondered, but before he even had a chance to decide Adam went and over and plunked down next to her. "Guess that answers my question." Craig mumbled to himself and took a seat next to Spinner.

"What are you doing?" Spinner asked him just as Craig started eating his lunch.

"What do you mean? I'm sitting down." Craig said casually.

"Well why are you sitting here? Aren't you gonna go sit with Manny?" Spinner said.

"Yea you two have been like, attached at the hip lately." Jimmy added.

"Well maybe I don't feel like sitting with her today. Is that okay with you two?" Craig said sarcastically.

"Crap!" Manny whispered to herself as she saw Adam walking towards her table and Craig sitting down with his friends.

"Hey Manny!" Adam said in his usual cheery manner as he took a seat beside her.

"Hey." Manny said as she glanced over to Craig.

"So what's up." He said in an attempt to make small talk.

"Nothing."

"Oh well I was just wondering if you decided."

"Decided what?" Manny said acting clueless, but she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"You know, if you wanted to be my-" Adam began but Manny quickly cut him off.

"Emma!" she shouted across the cafeteria hoping that she could stall Adam. She didn't want to hurt him but she didn't want to be his girlfriend either.

Emma walked up to the table and took a seat across from Manny.

"Hey!" she said with a wide smile.

"Hey Em. This is Adam. Adam this is my friend Emma." Manny said with a sigh of relief.

Emma and Adam exchanged smiles. Adam glanced at Manny, then at Emma, and then back at his food. He lost his chance. He couldn't ask her out in front of this Emma girl. The last time he tried doing that in front of one of her friends things didn't work out so great…

..........

When the period was over Emma and Manny walked to class together.

"Em you really saved me back there." Manny said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Adam kind of wants to date me… exclusively…" Manny said, "and I don't really wanna date him."

Emma gasped, "Are you serious? Why not? He seems like a nice guy."

Manny gave her a look, "Emma, be serious."  
"Okay so he's kind of an airhead, but he's sweet. That's gotta earn him some brownie points." Emma said with a laugh.

A/N: I'm back! LOL! Seriously though, I know that I haven't updated this fic in ages but I gonna start to again now that it's summer and I'll probably have some more free time. I'm sorry for stopping and I just hope that I haven't lost my readers! I wanna say thanks to reviewers _Abbey _and _dramaqueen717 _Your reviews gave me the push I needed to start writing again!


	11. Making The Date

****

.::Crash Into You::.

Chapter 11: Making The Date

Manny lie in her bed listening to the silence. "This is so nice." she said in a whisper. For once in a long time her parents weren't ripping each other's heads off. Suddenly the phone rang. Manny reached across her bed and picked it up.

"Hello," she said into the receiver.

"Hey Manny, it's Emma."

"Hey Em. What are you up to?"

"I'm bored out of my mind!"

Manny let out a laugh, "You feel like doing something?"

"Yes! How about The Dot?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you there."

"Ok bye."

"Bye." Manny said, then she hung up the phone and raced out of her house.

As Manny stepped into The Dot she immediately spotted Emma.

"Hey Em." Manny said, taking a seat across from her.

"Hey. Thanks for putting me out of my misery back at home!" Emma said with a smile.

Just as Manny was returning her smile something caught the corner of her eye. It was Craig! Craig Manning was sitting just a few feet away from her! Manny sunk into her chair and buried her face in her hands. She just couldn't bear to be near him. It hurt to much. She was so ashamed of her actions.

"Emma, I don't really feel like being here anymore. Can we go?" Manny said to Emma in such a low tone it was almost a whisper.

"But we just got here." Emma said feeling confused.

"I know bu-but, um… oh lets just go!" Manny said jumping out of her seat and dragging Emma along with her.

"Would you mind telling me what that was all about?" Emma asked as she stumbled out the door.

Manny began walking down the street, "Nothing. Nothing. I'd just rather be out here… taking in the fresh air, you know." she said forcing a smile.

Emma gave her a look, "Ok…"

Just a few minutes after they had left The Dot they spotted Adam, and he was walking hand-in-hand with a little boy.

"Ooh. Are you happy to be taking in your fresh air now?" Emma said sarcastically.

"Emma what are you talk-" Manny's sentence trailed once she saw Adam walking down the street headed in their direction!

"Crap Emma! Crap!" Manny muttered a she tried to hide her face. It was no use… Adam was already headed for her.

"Hey Manny!" Adam said as he walked up to her with a big smile.

"Hey Adam." Manny said softly.

"Hi Adam!" Emma boomed.

"Oh hi, um, uh…" Adam began to say but he forgot her name.

"Emma! Hi, Emma." Manny finished for him.

"Right! Emma!" He said feeling stupid. "Oh and this is my little brother Jason." Adam added as he pointed to the little boy next to him.

"Hey Jason." Manny said to him as she bent down to take his hand.

"Eww!" Jason shouted as he pulled his hand away from her.

"Sorry…" Manny mumbled feeling embarrassed.

"Manny can I talk to you for a second… in private…"

Emma glanced at Manny. 'Good Luck!' she mouthed to her as she stepped away from them.

"Manny can we go out sometime?" Adam said as he scratched his head.

Manny felt her face turning red. "Umm…"

"I really had a good time on our last date and maybe I can help you make up your mind about me Manny." Adam said with pleading eyes.

Manny felt herself melting in her spot. She couldn't say no to him. He was so honest and he sincerely liked her. "Ok Adam. Sure."

"That's great! Maybe we could get together this Friday after school and just hang around, you know." Adam said nervously.

"Yea that'll be fine." Manny said looking at her feet.

"Ok bye!" He said cheerfully.

"Bye Adam… Jason…" Manny said looking down at Jason.

"See ya." Jason said giving her a dirty look.

"Well that little one must be a handful." Manny said as she continued walking down the street with Emma.

"Yea I guess. So… aren't you gonna tell me what happened?" Emma asked anxiously.

"Oh come on Em! Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Manny said.

Emma laughed, "No I guess I already know…"

"Oh boy what have I gotten myself into now." Manny said rubbing her forehead.

"Just give the guy a chance and maybe you'll end up liking him Manny."

"Yea I don't think so Em." she said shaking her head.

"Why not?" Emma said looking directly at her.

"Because…" Manny let her sentence trail. _Because I love Craig… not Adam… Craig _she thought to herself as she looked down at the hard concrete ground.

****

A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't horrible! Review and let me know.


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